Day two of the 146th Battle of the Blues ended with the game hanging in the balance. Dineth Goonewardene grabbed all the attention at the Singhalese Sports Club grounds with a magnificent hundred, being the first Thomian to score a big match century since 2016.
Thomian openers Fernando and Amaraweera combined for a solid 69-run stand. Fernando, continuing in his merry way even after Amaraweera’s dismissal, went on to score his maiden Big Match half-century.
Royal College speedster Ranuka Malaviarachchi made crucial inroads, striking twice. Malaviarachchi was the standout bowler for Royal in the morning session, looking the most likely to break through.
Number four batter and S. Thomas’ highest run-scorer, Dineth Goonewardene, arrived at the crease with the Thomians in a rather comfortable position. Goonewardene’s magnificent stroke play all around the ground was a treat to watch. He did the bulk of the scoring while the middle order struggled to make a significant impact. Skipper Dias steadied the innings, playing the perfect supporting role to Goonewardene with a valuable unbeaten 37.
Goonewardene went on to make a special century, becoming the first Thomian to reach three figures in a Royal-Thomian since 2016. His brilliant knock featured 17 boundaries and a six, had the SSC crowd on its feet.
Ramiru Perera provided a late surge for Royal with the ball, picking up wickets in quick succession. He finished with impressive figures of 5 for 58, becoming the first Royal bowler since 2018 to claim a five-wicket haul in the Battle of the Blues.
With the game hanging in the balance and three sessions of play left on the final day, an exciting battle between bat and ball awaits. Catch all the live action on Sri Lanka’s No.1 Sports Channel, ThePapare!
Day two of the longest uninterrupted schoolboy encounter unfolded with S. Thomas’ College continuing their reply to Royal’s first-innings total of 319. Resuming from their overnight score of 32, the Thomians started positively, carrying forward the momentum from the previous evening.
